Neath Port Talbot is set to become the only council in the UK to run a fully electric recycling fleet, the authority has said.
The first of 21 new electric vehicles is arriving now, replacing the diesel lorries currently used to collect recycling across the county.
The council says it will be the first local authority in the country to make the switch completely.
The vehicles will be partly powered by solar panels installed at the council’s own depot, cutting the fuel needed to keep them running.
They also carry more than the lorries they replace, meaning crews can collect more before heading off to empty.
The first batch of 10 is due to land later this summer, with the rest arriving gradually through the year.
The council says the bigger capacity will help it keep beating the Welsh Government’s 70% minimum recycling target.
Wales is already among the best recycling nations in the world, and councils across the country have been pushing their rates higher.
Neighbouring Swansea recently hit a 72% household recycling rate, the best of any Welsh city.
Cllr Scott Jones, the council’s cabinet member for Streetscene, said the authority had worked hard to reach the milestone.
“We’re very proud to be the first local authority in the UK to invest in a fully electric recycling fleet,” he said.
He said the lorries would improve air quality for residents and cost less to run, freeing up money for other services.
Cllr Jones added that the switch backed up the council’s climate emergency declaration “with real action,” and fitted its wider decarbonisation and renewable energy strategy.
The new fleet follows other recent moves by the council on waste, including a crackdown on fly-tipping backed by new surveillance cameras and higher fines.
The vehicles are also expected to need less maintenance than the diesel lorries they replace.
